High-velocity shell or projectile.



S. D. SIMMONS.

HIGH VELOCITY SHELL 0H PROJECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31,1915.

Patentd May 30, 1916.

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SHEBIDM' EANA SIMMONS, NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB; OF THB-EE-FOURTHS T0 HENRY AMLING, OF NEW'YORK, N. Y.

HIGH-VELOCITY SHELL 0B EROJ'ECTILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 31., 1915. Serial No. 42,948.-

of the Bronx, in the. county of the Bronx. and. State of New York, have invented a new and Improved High-Velocity-Shell or Projectile, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to shells or projectiles and has for its principal object to provide a compound shell or' projectile which comprises a body that has arifled bore and a chamber, which latter is adapted to contain an explosive for projecting a sh'ell or projectile that is held in the rifled bore, the firing of the explosive being effected by a time fuse so that the shell or projectile as a whole can be fired out of a gun of standard construction, and when the projectile has attained a predetermined point .in its flight the explosive charge therein is automatically fired and projects the smaller shell or projectile at a very high velocity which is the sum of the velocity of the body at the time of the explosion of the charge, therein plus the velocity due to the explosion of the explosive charge in the shell or projectile. Assuming that the weight of the main body and the inner projectablesection are substantially the same and an appropriate explosive charge is placed in the shell, the projectable section can have its velocity greatly increased. The momentum of theniain shell'body opposes the reactive force of the explosion so that the explosive force in the shell body is bro t to bear on the smaller shell so as to gr y increase the velocity thereof.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which illustrates-one embodiment of the invention and wherein-similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, in which-- Figure -1' s a side view of the composite projectile'orshcll; Fig. 2 15 3, longitudinal section; and l igtfis a side view showing the small or inner projectile just afterit has been "fired out pf the loody off-the projectile; Fig. 4; is a transverse sectional view on the asses-ri 1..

Referring to the drawing, A designates Patented May so, rare.

the body of a projectile or shell which is shaped and proportioned externally like a shell used in standard pieces of ordnance and which is projected in theusual manner. The body A has a longitudinal bore 1 extending from the tip toward the body, but -th1s .bore 1s contracted at its rear end to form a chamber 2 and a shoulder 3, the portion of the bore in front of the'shoulder 3 having rifle grooves. The chamber 2 is intended to hold a high explosive, and in the rifled portion of the bore is an inner section or secondary shell B which is adapted to be projected from .the outer sectionor body A of the shell when the explosive 5 is fired. This firing may be effected-by a fuse 6 or any other suitable means'which will operate after alapse of a predetermined interval of time. When the compound projectile orshell is fired from the gun the inner and outer sections A and B remainintact and form a unitary mass traveling at the usual velocity, but after the lapse of a predetermined interval of time the ex 10% sive 5 is fired and projects the inner" s "ell or projectile B, which hasits velocity materially increased. As far as theinner shell is concerned the body A of the shell can be likened to a stationary gun, and the inner shell B is projected therefrom'at a velocity depending on the charge and explosive force of the explosive 5, but as a matter of fact, the inner shell or projectile B'possesses con siderable velocity at the time the explosion in the main shell takes place, so that the actual velocity will probably be something over three-fourths more than the velocity at the time of the explosion, assuming the explosive charge to be large enough and the two sections A and B of the shell, or projectile to be of substantially equal weight.

It will be understood-that instead of only using two shells or projectiles, one within the other, three or more may be employed to be fired in succession.

As shown in Fig. 4, the shell sections A and B have registering recesses 7 and 8 for receiving pins 9 which are used for the purpose of holding the, two sections together until the expanding or exploding gases exert their full force, thereby giving the inner or high velocity section of the shell connection with t e accompanying drawing,

the advantages of the. construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation, together with' the device which I now consider I to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to haveit understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A shell or projectile comprising an outer body section having a rifled bore and a chamber at the rear thereof, a charge of" inner shell for preventing turning of the latter except under the explosive force of the fired charge.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SHERIDAN DANA SIMMONS.

Witnesses:

LOUIS R. FELTER, WILLIAM SMITH.

Copies of this patent may, be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents.

wuhingten, 19. G. 

